Ivatan, Batanes Oral History

with Mr Pablo Valientes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4OgTBOei0c

A.  Next is the B.I.S.U.M.I. Fighters collection
This part is 3 min. 55 sec of 7 min. 50 sec interview

Pablo:…tamna angoa’ya.
Time: 0:03 Mamo kami na a Ivatan ta mandanda sa do dji Ivana a midividi a tomita sira so… (Angu sao chitahen dao?)  0:18sec Sira’o Americano chitahen da sa. Amna, ara sa’va  o Americano dya ya. As na, ango aya, do kuana nasawri amna i patrabajojon dara nayamen a Ivatan  mamaren so tunnel 0:36 tunnel dasa, kano i mamatsi so irutong da sa, kano kadukaduan pa pariparinyen a ichapia da no Hapon aw. 0:48 An maskeh kami am kastigohon da yamen no Hapon auri. Dawa kaposposan kami manganohod  do vatahen dauri no Hapon djamen… dawa -

1:04
PROMPTER: Ivahey mo na anchi o geurilla….
1:10
Pablo:  Chuwahen ko nao, itchuwa? … Do nakango?
PORMPTER:  “Naypangu ka sumdep a guerilla?” (said twice or prompted 2X)

Pablo: Ah? Ka guerilla?
1:20 Prompter : Do kapaymemeting nyo sao do…
Pablo:  Ka guerilla?  Dawa do kayan daori djaya no i, Hapon am maviden kami maytrabajo do djira dao no Hapon auri. 1:33 As ka 1944 am nawara si Commodore Cabal kan nyi Valones (Lt Valones) dji Vatan aya.

1:53 Na dawa dekey as kapanorganisa namen dana, kavayavayat da djamen. Ka’arowan namen am Ivana, as kavayavayat namen do asa ka lugar a matayo do takey, as ka-organise namen so BISUMI Fighter. 2:11 No ngaran na am BISUMI Fighter: anyaya  am Basco, (Ivana), Sabtang, Uyugan, (Mahatao),  Itbayat. Nauri vata’w BISUMI. BISUMI the six municipalities.

2:27sec:
Nauri.  Na dawa do e nakaorganise n’aya siya amna yamen am arava’o armas. Arava’o armas namen. As no advice da djamen da Commodore Cabal am no kachedeb namen do tunnels dasa kan no yanan da sa 

no Hapon. 2:52 Ta’no, in case, as na mawara sa’o Americans we, i-lead namen sira do hiding place
dawri no Japanese sawri.

3:02 Dawa mangay kami na mayhor-,      maytrabajo do tunnels dasa tapian ano akmay  mawara sa’o Americans am maparin  namen sa i-guide do yanan da sawri no Hapon awri, tamna maytrabajo kami djira. Patrabahohon da yamen, pagan da  yamen. Pagan da yamen so 1 Peso do asa ka araw.
3:32 As na, kuwanana sawri do… kuwanasauri am do chuwa dana, ka 19—do 1945 dana amna ichakey da
Valones kan Commodore Cabal am… (not completed, audio tape ended here).

3:55sec
(the ff is a continuation on the video version) kangay da do e Luzon. Time 3min:55sec.The END

Notes:
i     - In Ivatan (Vatan) this vowel is normally  
            pronounced  as the English “e”
italics   -  Indicate what I have filled in to improve        
                on some missing thoughts.
LT Valones – was a 1stLT during the WWII
COMMODORE Cabal – was an Army Captain during              
                       The WWII. He retired at the rank of

Next
Chapter…………………….7min. 50secs

Pablo:…because of something.
We, Ivatans, were becoming scared as they (the Japanese) were reaching as far as Ivana in their search for… (What were they looking for?) 0:18sec The Americans were the ones that they were looking for. However, there were no Americans here. Eventually, they (the Japanese soldiers) put us Ivatan to work by digging tunnels 0:36 tunnels for them, also collect firewood for them, and also anything else that would benefit those Japanese (them). 0:48 If we refused to do any of their demands the Japanese would punish us. And so we were forced to obey and follow all that we were told by the Japanese… and so –

1:04
PROMPTER: Go ahead and relate about the guerilla…
1:10
Pablo: Should I make do,whatever it is? … What happened when?
Prompter:  “How did you join the guerilla movement?” (said twice or prompted 2X).

Pablo: What? During the time of the guerilla?
1:20 Prompter: When you in the guerilla movement were holding meetings somewhere…
Pablo: During the guerilla movement?  That is why while the Japanese were here we had to continue working for them. 1:33 In the year 1944 Commodore Cabal and LT Valones arrived here in Vatan (Batanes). 
1:53 Shortly after we organized us, then we held meetings. Most of us (members) were from the town of Ivana, we met in secluded places out in the fields, then we organized the BISUMI Fighter. 2:11 (The guerilla movement was) The name was BISUMI Fighter which stands for Basco, Ivana, Sabtang, Uyugan, Mahatao and Itbayat. That stood for the six municipalities.
2:27sec.
That was it. While we were being organized there wasn’t any type of weapon, we did not have any weapon. The advice (instruction) that we received
from Commodore Cabal was to observe the tunnels, the whereabouts of the Japanese, 2:52 so that in the event that the Americans do arrive then we lead them to the Japanese hiding places.

3:02 That was why we did go work in those tunnels so that if the Americans did arrive, then we would be able to guide them to the location of the Japanese. They (Japanese) put us to work, and they did pay us. Our salary was One (1) Peso a day.  

3:32
Then sometime later during the year of 1945, LT Valones and Commodore Cabal wanted to … (not completed audio tape ended here ).

3:55sec.
(the ff is a continuation on the video version) kangay da do e Luzon. Time 3min:55sec.The END